The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has advanced its digital transformation agenda with the launch of computer-based testing for the Pharmacy Technicians’ National Pre-Certification Examination (NPCE).
The two-day qualifying examination, which began on Wednesday, September 10, and will conclude on Thursday, September 11, 2025, is being conducted simultaneously across several centres nationwide.
This innovation comes after the successful digital transition of the Pre-Registration Examination for Pharmacists (PEP), which the council has administered electronically for over five years.
According to the PCN Registrar, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, “the adoption of computer-based testing is designed to strengthen the security, efficiency, and credibility” of the council’s examination processes.
He explained that “successful candidates in the NPCE are expected to boost the nation’s healthcare workforce in line with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to expand access to healthcare and develop a skilled pool of professionals in the pharmaceutical sector.”
Pharm. Ahmed reaffirmed that the Pharmacy Technician remains the only officially recognised sub-cadre within the pharmacy profession, as defined in the Federal Government’s Scheme of Service.
This stance was recently upheld by the Federal Ministry of Education, which directed that the National Diploma (ND) in Pharmacy Technician should remain the sole qualification for entry into the sub-cadre. As a result, institutions across the country have discontinued admissions into Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Technology.
The Registrar also urged parents and prospective students to confirm the accreditation status of any institution offering pharmaceutical programmes before enrolment. This, he said, would ensure adherence to regulatory standards and secure a legitimate route to professional practice.
